In Search of Winter
by RogueWitch
Summary: Part 2 of the Circling Hawks Series following Not What I Expected. The Team has initiated Phase Two of their plans, they've gone after the illusive Winter Soldier, with the hope of bringing him into the Avenger's Fold. Running on bad intel, and some leaked information, Darcy and Clint get caught, and find themselves stuck with the object of their search, the Winter Soldier.
1. Into the Nothing

**Notes:**

Okay, first off, I want to thank everyone who called for the next part of this series, because you are the main motivation for my writing. Thank you so much for commenting.

Next, I know I should be working on Equilibrium, because I totally missed my posting deadline, but I'm not. I've been turning this chapter over in my mind all week, and I just couldn't write anything else until it was up.

Finally, thank you Liebekatze for constantly feeding my rabid plot bunnies, this is entirely your fault.

The chapter title is inspired by Into the Nothing by Breaking Benjamin.

In Search of Winter

Chapter 1: Into the Nothing

The trees whipped by as they made their escape, branches tearing at the sleeves of her uniform. Darcy glanced back at her mate, his hands clutching at his bow, an arrow knocked. He paused and turned, loosing an arrow toward the gun fire.

"I told you this was a bad idea," she said as they started moving again, bullets ripping past, tearing out chunks of bark. An explosion rocked the woods, throwing them both to the snow covered ground.

"Yep," Clint pulled her back to her feet and knocked a new arrow. "Heard you the first time, Darce." Another detonation went off to their right. The archer threw himself over his partner, covering her head as splinters and debris rained down over them.

"Just thought it warranted a second mention," she took his hand and pulled him close, a quick kiss on his lips before she threw herself forward, towards the clearing where they left the Quinjet.

"Yep, got it babe, keep running," he put his bow over his shoulder, switching it out for the semi-automatic that Darcy favored, two quick barks from the barrel brought down the drone that hovered just above the tree line.

"Next time we're totally bringing a flyer with us," Darcy concentrated on the tech and let off a pulse, two more drones dropped through the trees, hitting the ground in their path.

"Got it," Clint grabbed onto her hand and shoved the gun in her opposite hand, standing back to back they shot at the Hydra guard that snuck through the trees around them. "No more running down crazy leads alone." Darcy dropped a clip out of her gun and let go of his hand to reload, wrapping her back leg around his so that the openings in their suits aligned, and their minds connected. "How about we focus on getting our asses out of this in one piece and I'll let you yell at me all you want in the safety of our own bedroom, yeah?"

"Now you want to concentrate," she barked out a sharp laugh, as she dropped Hydra's sniper out of a nearby tree. "That's not what you were thinking just a few minutes ago."

"Sue me," he shrugged, reloading and switching back to his bow. She might prefer guns, he always felt more secure with his recurve in his hands. "I've got the world's sexiest girlfriend, and a fertile imagination."

"Fiancé," Darcy corrected.

"Hey," Clint clicked through the settings on his quiver and chose an arrow. "Just because you know I bought a ring does not mean I've given it to you yet."

"Whatever," she chuckled as they took off through the trees again, the Quinjet just over the next hill. "You love me, you want to marry me," she sang.

"True," he locked his fingers around hers and pulled her up the rise, as her feet lost purchase on the ground. "Let's get home, so you can yell at me, and if you're really good, I'll do that thing I was thinking about like ten minutes ago."

"That thing you were thinking about when you got distracted and made us?" Darcy sassed.

"Fuck you," Clint grumbled. "Yelling at home, Darce."

"You know damn well when we get home this is not what we're going to be talking about," she squeezed his hand.

"Only if we get there in one piece."

"True," Darcy hit the button on her comm that opened the back ramp of the jet. "If you get me blown up, you will never here the end of it.

"Good thing you weren't blown up," Clint's boots clanged against the metal of the ramp. He tossed his quiver on the bench and headed to the cockpit and dropped into his seat, starting the preflight.

"Luck man," she kissed him gently before she dropped into the co-pilots seat.

"Yes I am," he smiled flipping switches and pulling on his headset. "Rings in the front pocket of your jacket, you know, if you want it." Darcy lifted up her left hand and let the ring sparkle in the fading light of the sun.

"You can't hide anything from me, babe."

"No, I really can't," Clint pulled the jet off the ground and headed toward home. "I kind of love that."

Steve strode through the doors of the War Room at Avenger tower, clicking the holoscreens to life and looking over his team. Natasha sat with her feet on the table, long red hair pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head, looking like nothing in the world could possibly bother her, though he knew that five hours before they'd both been running for their lives when their carefully rigged explosives went off a little early. Bruce was huddled, as usual in his chair, looking like the world's oldest slacker college student, and Tony sat beside him with a glass of whiskey, and a bandage over his left shoulder. Even Thor looked a little worse for wear. His team was running ragged, and they didn't seem to have a lead.

"Let's talk about what we have," the Captain turned his back on the assembled Avengers, and pulled up the surveillance pictures that Jarvis had managed to find. "We've had sightings of the Winter Soldier in a dozen counties in the last five months, but we're always running a step behind. Intel says he's taking out Hydra bases as he goes. The reports we've been getting haven't been substantiated on the ground."

"I think Hydra's playing with us," Clint and Darcy walked through the doors, still in their uniforms. Clint dropped his bow on the table and his quiver beside his chair, as they both dropped heavily into their seats. "They've been setting us up."

Darcy tossed a USB across the table, watching as it slid to a stop in front of the Captain. "They've been watching us," she told him. "Someone's been feeding them info, and they've been using that to lure us out. Nothing in any of the Hydra files I've been pulling have said anything about the Soldier getting anywhere near Hydra."

"So we're running a wild goose chase?" Steve plugged the USB into the interface and pulled up some files.

"Curtesy of our favorite Nazi organization," Clint nodded.

"So who's our mole?" Tony sat up straighter and put his glass down on the table. "I mean, he's got to be here in the Tower, or they wouldn't know anything about what we're doing, right?"

"Jarvis," Steve looked up at the ceiling, a nasty habit that the entire team, save Tony, seemed to have. "Pull all personnel files for the Tower, I want everyone vetted and re-vetted, until then, we go silent about Phase Two."

"As you like, sir," the AI's voice filtered through the speakers. "I estimate the program should be complete in thirty six hours."

"Go back thirty years," Tony added. "Anything suspicious, you flag it."

"Already done, sir," Jarvis stated.

"So," Steve sat down in his seat, and looked over at his team again. "You got something to tell us, Darcy?" He eyed the sparkle on her finger.

Darcy just smiled and admired the ring on her finger, three small stones, a diamond flanked by two amethysts. "Nope," she watched as the light reflected off the gems and bit her lip. "Nothing important."

"You sure, mladshaya sestra," Natasha smirked, watching as the Hawks looked at each other, stupid grins on their faces. "That's a pretty important finger."

"Yep," Darcy intertwined her fingers with her mates, letting his mind wash over hers, the feeling of completeness sweeping away the entire room for just a moment. "Clint got me a ring."

"We can see that," Tony said.

"Shut up, Tony," Steve tossed a crumpled piece of paper at the billionaire. "It's beautiful, doll."

"Thanks, Steve," Darcy smiled and held out her hand so her friend could get a better look. "I mean, it's just a formality, but it made me happy."

"You ready for this again, Hawk?" Natasha asked her friend, who was smiling stupidly at his fiancé.

"Nothing could stop me, Red," he didn't even take his eyes off of his girl. "Like Darcy said, it's a formality, we're linked. She's my mate."

"What is this formality that you speak of?" Thor looked over at his sister, who was admiring a pretty piece of jewelry on her finger.

"It's an engagement ring, Point Break," Tony patted the Asgardian on his shoulder. "Barton asked her to marry him."

"That is wonderful, little sister," Thor boomed. "I feel that you and your Hawk are very well matched."

"Thanks, big guy," Darcy smiled at her Lightening Brother.

"Well, then congratulations are in order," Tony jumped out of his seat and swept his arms around the room. "Call in the troops, I smell a party."

"No," Darcy looked at him as if she was looking over the rims of her glasses, even though she hadn't worn them in months. "Just us and Jane."

"We're grounded, though," Tony pouted.

"Nope," Clint pulled his girl from her chair. "We're going to clean up, and then we'll have drinks, then Darcy and I have plans."

"You're really going to do that thing?" she grinned, sliding her fingers under his belt at the back of his uniform.

"You guys are never any fun," Tony whined. "All you ever do."

"If you finish that sentence, I will not be responsible for what I do next," Darcy pointed at the billionaire, who just held up his hands in defense.

"I would be pleased to celebrate your impending bond with a glass of spirits," Thor clapped Clint on the shoulder hard enough that the archer rocked on his feet. "Let us adjure to the Common Room, we will wait for your return there." He strode out of the room, completely confident that the rest of the team would follow him.

"Onward," Tony followed Thor from the room.

"Impending bond?" Clint just looked at Darcy for a moment, who shrugged. "He knows we're already bonded, like as bonded as they get, right?"

"What can I say, babe," Darcy just pulled him along behind her. "He speaks in Ren-fest. It's like his thing."

"Yeah," he just nodded. "But the word choice."

"Let it go, Hawkass," she pushed him up against the wall of the elevator before pushing the button for their floor. "We have very little time before we're going to be expected for that drink we just agreed to."

"Right, focus," Clint mumbled against her lips. "Keep my head in the game." He sealed his lips over his lovers, pulling her against his chest. "I think I can do that."

"Really, now we're focused," Darcy smiled into his lips.

"I have proper incentive," he kissed the laughter from her mouth, smiling as she melted into his embrace.

 **Notes:**

As always, let me know what you think. And don't forget to feed the author on your way out.


	2. The Killing Lights

**Notes:**

Chapter title inspired by The Killing Lights by AFI.

Okay, so my powers back on after yesterday's truely epic storm, and there are no more tree parts in my yard. So, I had a little time to work on my fiction.

Enjoy!

In Search of Winter

Chapter 2: The Killing Lights

Bucky stared at the blank concrete wall of his cell, listening to the drum of combat boots coming down the hall, two sets in firm lock step, a third shuffling and stumbling. He didn't bother looking up when the foot falls halted outside his door, the guards took turns taunting the terrifying assassin, the boogeyman of Russia, the pathetic Winter Soldier, who was taken down by a single flash bang.

The scream of abused hinges cut through the air and echoed down the hall as the guards pulled open the door to the cell, that was new. He looked up just in time to see a blond man being shoved thought, tripping over his own feet and tumbling to the floor.

"Yastreb," the man pulled himself to his feet, using the bars on the cell door to brace himself, his legs not entirely seeming to obey their masters command. "Malen'kiy yastreb." There was an edge to panic in the other man's voice.

"I don't think your little hawk is close enough to here you," Bucky mumbled, rubbing his flesh fingers against the joints of his left hand.

The new man stopped calling for his hawk and turned very slowly around, the shock on his face was palpable. "Well, shit," he said, looking Bucky slowly up and down. "Sergeant Barnes."

"You know me?" Bucky took in the blond's appearance, black Kevlar vest, purple leather trim, arm guards, tactical pants, combat boots, and some truly impressive bruising along one side of his head. There was matted blood in his hair, but from where he was sitting, Bucky couldn't see any obvious wounds, but then even little head wounds bleed like a stuck pig. Purple leather?

"Yeah, well," the blond scratched the back of his neck, rubbing his fingers into his hairline and down his spine, like his head hurt. "Cap's had us crisscrossing the globe looking for your brainwashed ass."

"Cap?" Bucky tipped his head to the side, continuing to assess the new man. He kept running his hands down the back of his neck, pushing the tips of his fingers into his spine and grimacing.

"Captain America."

"He's looking for me?" he remembered Steve, and Captain America, though those memories were a little more vague. His friend from Brooklyn, who couldn't keep his nose out of trouble, those memories were rock solid.

"Yeah, buddy," the blond leaned against the wall opposite, and slid down the wall. "And he's going to be super sore that I found you first." He put his head down between his knees and took a few slow breaths. "And I got my ass snatched again, and got separated from Yastreb, which is like no-no number one for the two of us in the field."

"Getting snatched, it happen often?" this was not inspiring any kind of confidence in Bucky.

"No, getting separated," the blond shook his head very slowly. "We've only gotten snatched once. Which lead to the not getting separated rule, but that's a story for another time."

"Hawkeye?" a warm feminine voice echoed around the concrete dungeon, causing both men's heads to snap up towards the door.

"Oh, thank god," the new man sighed, the relief on the blond's face was visceral. "Hey, moy malen'kiy yastreb," his voice was soft, but carried.

"Cut the possessive crap, Hawk," the female voice growled.

"Hey," the man hefted himself to his feet again and peered through the door. "How far are you?" Which struck Bucky as a strange question.

"Just across the hall," a hand waved from the opposite cell.

"So just far enough away to suck," the man sighed again. "I found Bucky."

"Does it really count as finding when you get tossed in a cell with the guy?" the girl, Yastreb, the blond had called her. And she called him Hawk? She didn't sound Russian, why call her by a Russian name?

"I'm standing here looking at the guy," the blond, Hawkeye, what kind of crazy ass name was that? Rolled his eyes. "It was our crappy lead, I call that found."

"Fair point," Yastreb consented. "Do you want to talk about our other problem?" A hand reached through the bars across from them, and Bucky got his first glance at the girl, who couldn't top five foot four, long brown hair, curling out of a braid that hung thickly down over her shoulder, and lush curves that her black and purple cat suit did nothing to hide, the left pant leg bare between the bottom of the knee to the top of her black leather boots. Her fingertips waved in the air between the two cells. Hawkeye pushed his arm through the bars and strained to reach her.

"Yeah," he huffed, pulling his hand back. "That's going to suck."

"How much time you think we have?" the girl asked, worrying at the tail of hair at the end of her braid, her bottom lip between her teeth.

Hawkeye rolled his shoulders and stretched his head from side to side. "Bout ten hours, give or take?"

"Plenty of time then," she grumbled. "You think the others have even noticed we're off the grid yet?"

"With your spontaneous electrical issues?" the blond chuckled darkly. "I highly doubt it."

"Nat's probably at least seen that the jet's still not moving," the girl groaned. "She probably thinks we're just taking advantage of a little quiet time." She pushed away from the cell door. "Okay."

"So Barnes," the other man said, turning to face him. "You mind if I call you Barnes?"

"No objections," Bucky drawled, he'd certainly been called worse than his own damned name.

"We have about ten hours to get out of this cell," Hawkeye rattled the bars, which didn't budge. Bucky just watched. "Though in about five hours."

"Four," Yastreb interrupted.

"I can make it to five if I really need to," the blond countered.

"Previous experience tells a different story, hawkass," the girl scoffed, her arms hanging through the bars as she tried to look down the hall.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes and felt around the edges of the door, searching for weaknesses. Bucky continued to sit and watch. "In about four hours," he glared at the girl. "I'm going to be almost totally useless and probably sitting in that corner over there trying to cure entirely into a ball," he just shrugged. "So you and the misses over there, will have to take over from there."

"You two are married?" Bucky couldn't see its but then again, they'd just met.

"Not yet," Yastreb said from her cell, eyes closed, concentration elsewhere.

"Weddings in two days, fucking Ironman went all out, and Thor was not helpful with his suggestions," Hawkeye walked the perimeter of the cell. "And I'd really like to be back in New York before then, because Vdova will kick our asses if Little Hawk over there talked her into that brides maid's dress, and then didn't show up."

"Vdova?" Bucky'd known someone by that name once; Natalia had been his prized student once upon a time.

"Call signs only," Yastreb grumbled from her cell. "It's a getting snatched rule."

"She's not very nice," Bucky muttered, watching the girl who didn't even look legal yet. This Hawkeye guy had to be at least thirty, what on earth were those two doing getting married.

"She's just stressed," the man shrugged and locked eyes with his fiancé across the hall, gesturing at her using sign language.  
"Wedding jitters?" the former Winter Soldier asked.

"No," the couple was clearly having some kind of argument in ASL. "We kind of need to touch."

"That's a little more than I need to know," Bucky neither wanted nor needed to know what kind of activities his fellow inmates got up to on their own time.

"No, no," Hawkeye laughed, rubbing the back of his neck again, the corners of his eyes starting to pinch like he was in pain. "It's not a sex thing, though that is awesome."

"Hawkass," Yastreb growled from her cell.

"Right," Hawkeye winked at Bucky. "The need to touch is a byproduct of our all expense paid vacation to Hydra Prison World last year. I'd go into detail, but I really don't want our captors getting any inside info. And Hulk is so much better at explaining these things."

"The important part," the girl interjected. "Is that we're under a deadline, in less than ten hours, my beautiful fiancé is going to lose consciousness if we don't get at least a fingertip on each other, and I'm going to turn into a human Tesla coil."

"Okay," Bucky pulled himself to his feet. "Let's figure this out."

Bucky stopped struggling with the cell door when the whimpering from his cell mate fell silent and the man slumped to the floor. For a moment there was nothing but silence, the room seemed to fall completely still. He could feel the crackle and fizzle of electricity as the hairs of his flesh arm stood on end and what felt like a sonic boom swept through the hallway, the lights flashing and going out, his left arm fell limp at this side. Yastreb had not been kidding about her electrical problem.

"No," Yastreb keened from the cell across the fall, arches of electricity bouncing from her fingertips and dancing down the metal bars. She let out a heartbroken sob and rattled the door, sparks falling as she desperately pulled at the bars. The poor girl was thrown to the floor as the door suddenly gave way and swung violently outward, clanging against the concrete wall.

The brunette recovered quickly and pushed herself off the floor, stumbling across the hall, her feet faltering and dragging against the floor. "Bucky, bring him here," she said, her words slurring and electricity jumping between her fingers and behind her eyes, the stray hairs sticking out from her head. Bucky just looked at her, frozen in place. "James Buchanan Barnes, you get off your ass and bring my mate to me this fucking instant or so help me, I will fry your ass so good you'll spend the rest of your days drooling into a sippy cup."

Bucky had no doubt in that moment that the fiery goddess in front of him could do exactly what she threatened. He pushed against his metal arm as the internal mechanics started to come back on line, rotating his shoulder violently to force it to reset and obey his commands. Hawkeyes body was like a giant ragdoll as he lifted the man over his shoulder. Bucky's left arm curled over his back, securing him in place. Yastreb's fingers reached for her partner, lightning bolts dancing down her arm, shocking against her skin as it traveled down the cell door bars, the zaps didn't seem to faze her at all. Her hands clumsily brushed the metal of Bucky's shoulder as she reached for Hawkeye, electricity exploding down his arm, holding all three of them in place, before the world shattered to white and they all dropped to the floor.

Darcy pushed into the fingers scratching gently at her scalp, pulling her to consciousness. "Hmm," she rolled over, frowning at the cold hard surface against her skin. "Don't stop, baby."

"I love it when you say that," her mate's voice rumbled through her skin. "You back with me, baby?" Clint pushed his lover up into his lap, Bucky still completely oblivious to the world.

"Yeah," she snuggled against his chest, the feeling of her mates body against hers and their link strong and open in her mind warmed her all the way through.

"Oh, babe," Clint's fingers trailed down her arms, linking her fingers with his. "I can warm you up so much better than this when we get home." The image of their bed at the Avenger's Tower, bathed in half light, as she tumbled into it, her lover leaning down over her flowed through her mind. Darcy squirmed with anticipation.

"What the hell," Bucky grumbled behind Clint, his mind full of dirty images that weren't' his own, starring the fiery brunette.

"Oh no," Darcy pulled away from Clint carefully keeping one hand linked to her partner, as they both looked over at Bucky. There was a pressure at the back of both of their minds that felt way too much like their own link. They reached out for Bucky. The link locked in place, all three minds opening and connecting. "We are so fucked."

Clint nodded in agreement, letting his and fall away from Bucky's arm. "Ironman's going to have a field day with this."

"What the hell is happening?" Bucky pushed Darcy's hand away from him, feeling a pressure at the back of his mind at the loss of contact.

"Welcome to the Hawks, Bucky Bear," Darcy sighed. "We're linked."

"What does that mean?"

"Let's get out of here," Clint stood and pushed the cell door all the way open. "We'll explain everything on the ride home."

 **Notes:**

Feed the muse!


	3. Tight Rope

**Notes:**

Chapter Title inspired by Tight Rope by Lacuna Coil.

This chapter almost didn't happen tonight, due to another car accident on my drive home, but I was determined not to get side tracked.

I hope you enjoy.

In Search of Winter

Chapter 3: Tight Rope

Bucky threw himself down on a bench just inside the Quinjet, holding a rag against the wound on his right shoulder, willing it to clot, as Darcy and Clint, his two new best friends apparently, got the jet ready for takeoff.

"Tower, this is Hawkeye," Clint flicked a few switches and pulled a headset over one ear. "Checking in, over."

"We were starting to worry about you, Hawk," a vaguely familiar voice sounded over the radio. "I was just about to send out a search party."

"Oh, Nat," the Hawk clicked into his five point harness. "You care."

"I've got a purple brides maid dress burning a hole in my closet, says I like you just fine," she chuckled.

"You love Darcy," the engines whined as the aircraft got ready for takeoff. Darcy appeared in front of Bucky, her hands on her hips, a pointed look towards the harness that was partially digging into his back.

"Gotta strap in, soldier," the girl didn't move, clearly waiting for him to acquis.

"Don't think I'll be hurt much if you crash," Bucky told her, folding his arms across his chest. He could feel her agitation at his unwillingness to comply, through the link; he had no intention to let this new form of mind fuckary push him into doing anything he didn't want to do.

Darcy's shoulders sagged, looking deep into his eyes, before shrugging. "Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me when you get knocked and rattled about. Mind that shoulder."

"I can hold my own, sweetheart," Bucky grumbled.

"I'm giving you a pass on that, this time, Barnes," Darcy's eyes flashed dangerously, he could almost feel the electricity again on his skin. "It's my name or my call sign, you haven't earned anything else."

"I just got a brain full of how your boyfriend likes to fuck you," Bucky pulled himself as far away from the girl as he could. "You've wedged your way into my mind, I'll call you what I like, princess."

"And when I touch you, I can see the faces of every single person you've murdered," she shrugged, sitting down on the bench beside him and strapping herself in. "I also feel how much you hate what they did to you, and how broken you are. It takes getting used to."

"I don't want to get used to it," Bucky scooted down the bench until he hit the all of the jet.

"I don't think you'll have much of a choice," the girl mumbled, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.

Bucky watched as she relaxed, the whine of the engines increasing as the Quinjet lifted off the ground. He could feel her and her partner like a heavy pressing weight at the back of his mind. It was nothing like the burning void that the Chair would create, but he hated it none the less, especially the anxiety she felt as the plane ascended into the sky.

As soon as the plane leveled out, Darcy wondered up to the front, running a reassuring hand through Clint's hair, little flecks of rusty red drifted from his scalp. She looked back at Bucky, huddled in the corner of the Quinjet, his head in his hands. She could feel his distress coming off of him in waves through their bond.

"I think we broke the Winter Soldier," she slipped into the co-pilot's seat and hooked her leg around his, the weight of his mind opened to her, but she could feel the tension at the incomplete link.

"You know," Clint flicked off the radio and set the auto pilot, letting Jarvis take over. "Steve may just kill us this time."

"Yep," Darcy let her head fall back against her seat and watched the clouds rush by. "It was nice knowing you, baby."

"I'm too young to die," he unstrapped his harness, itching to pull his mate into his lap and sooth her distress, but they weren't alone, and it wasn't her distress that was hurting them both.

"Clint, your forty five," her eyes drifted closed; letting her more fully feel their third. Even without touching his anger and unease brought tears to her eyes. Bucky wanted to die, and their link only made him feel worse.

"That's too young to die," Clint tried to keep their light hearted banter going, even as his heart clenched. "I'm not eighty."

"Whatever," Darcy huffed out a harsh burst of air and pulled herself out of her chair. "We need to figure this out."

"Yeah," he deflated, wrapping his arms around his fiancée and pulling her between his legs, the controls keeping them pressed close. "Mind linking to a former brainwashing victim can't be good for his psyche."

"You did okay," she snuggled into his chest, tucking her head down under his chin.

"But I knew you," he let his hands run up and down her back, letting her braid intertwine with his fingers. "And out link came on gradually. Bucky didn't get that luxury." Darcy just nodded.

The Hawks watched the soldier rubbing his hands down the back of his neck, feeling the same tension that they both were from the lack of contact with their link mate. Touching each other had helped for a time, but Clint could feel the pressure building at the back of his skull. They had to touch soon; otherwise the pressure would start to blossom into a full blown migraine. Bucky looked like he was already at that stage.

Clint pushed Darcy away and stood from his seat, linking his fingers with hers and leading them both to where Bucky was huddled. He reached out to touch the soldier, but the other man rebuffed him with his metal arm.

"Don't," Bucky's voice was gruff and harsh. "Just don't touch me."

Clint let his hand drop back and wrapped Darcy up in his arms. "Story time, Bucky Bear," she let her mate take much of her weight as she leaned back into him. "After the fight with Spangles, when the Trickle Tart Carriers went down."

"Spangles?" Bucky's eyebrows raised as he watched the two in front of him. "The what?"

"She means the Triskelion," Clint shrugged. "She's colorful."

"I see," Bucky looked back down at his hands, wishing they would just go away.

"Anyway," Darcy waved them away. "After the Trickle Tarts went down," she persisted. "Hydra relaunched Project Winter Soldier." They could both feel Bucky's tension ratchet up. "And apparently, they felt that Clint and I were perfect candidates. Totally normal humans, who were attached to the Avengers Initiative."

"We had some unforeseen side effects," the Hawk interjected, laying his chin on his girlfriend's shoulder.

"One of which was the link that was created between the two of us," Darcy looked down at Clint's hands locked together around her waist. "When we're touching, we share everything."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Bucky folded his arms around his knees, setting his chin down and watched the two lovers. "Do you two ever thin about anything other than sex?"

"To be fair," Clint smirked over Darcy's shoulder at the other man. "You've touched us like twice since this link formed."

"And both times you were thinking about sex," Bucky grumbled, rubbing his face against his knees. "I know way more about your kinks than I ever need to."

"Those are all Darcy's fault," the archer squeezed his fiancée, who pinched him. "Okay, maybe twelve percent mine."

"So is that a no?" the Winter Soldier kept his head buried against his knees, doing his best to block out the voices in his head.

"Sometimes we think about battle tactics," the former SHIELD sniper supplied.

"Oh, and bows," Darcy giggled, leaning into her mates embrace, trying to pull the soldier out of his obvious pain. "Clint thinks about his recurve almost as often as he thinks about my boobs."

"Great," Bucky tipped his head back, letting it clang against the bulkhead, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, only by keeping his eyes shut. "And why am I getting your thoughts then, we aren't touching." He shook his head and adjusted the grip on his legs, pushing himself up more. "I'm actually pretty okay with you not touching me at all."

"Don't know if that's an option, my friend," Darcy gently pulled away from her archer and sat down next to Bucky, leaving plenty of space between the three of them. "Strong thoughts have always come through, just like strong emotions, but not fleeting bits of fancy."

Clint shrugged, not having any more answers than she did. "We have some pretty sever consequences if we don't touch," he told Bucky.

"Like what happened back in the cells?" Bucky could see Clint huddled in the corner, moaning in pain, rocking slowly back and forth. The image sent a shudder down his spine. If these people really hadn't meant to mind fuck him, and couldn't do anything about what he was getting through the link, then a little touching was better than becoming a drooling mess.

"Exactly," Darcy huffed out a breath and slid a hand over to his, giving him plenty of time to move away. "Granted with your addition to the link, we're going to have to test that shit all over again."

Her fingers brushed against the back of his hand and he could feel a wash of warm thoughts chasing away the headache that was knotting the back of his neck. "Shit," Bucky sighed, letting her fingers tangle with his. Slowly he felt Clint's hand cup their joint fingers and the whole world tilted back into alignment. It felt right, and Bucky hated it.

"Yeah," the archer pulled his hand away; pulling his consciousness away from Bucky's waring emotions. "It sucked the first time, let me tell you, the migraines I get are bad, like wanting to vomit, almost feels like your ears and nose are bleeding, bad."

"Let's get home, first," Darcy gave Bucky's hand a reassuring squeeze and pulled away. "Steve's going to flip his shit again, and we're going to be back at square one with our hug therapy."

"Do I want to ask?" the soldier tucked himself back in the corner of the jet, his muscles loosening now that the pain was gone.

"Probably not," Clint chuckled and helped Darcy off the bench, feeling the plane bank slightly, aligning itself towards New York, still several hours away.

"Good," he relaxed, finally clipping himself into his seat, closing his eyes. He'd be able to sleep now. "I'm just going to sit right here."

"And we'll go fly the plane."

"Who's flying now?" Bucky cracked an eye and looked at the empty pilot's seat.

"Jarvis," Clint told him, like that actually answered the question.

Darcy playfully shoved her mate. "It's on auto pilot," she explained.

"Okay," the Winter Soldier closed his eyes again, letting his legs splay out in front of him, scooting as far down in his seat as the harness would allow and fell asleep.

 **Notes:**

The muse is happy and well fed, thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed, keep it up!


	4. Doorways

**Notes:**

This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but the stopping point just felt right.

Enjoy.

In Search of Winter

Chapter 4: Doorways

Darcy stood with one hand against the side of the jet, letting the sound of the engines wash over, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. She let everything fall away, climbing deep into her own mind, searching out the connection where Clint lived. She hated flying. The movement of the plane, the thought of miles of nothing between her feet and solid ground, Darcy was never in any danger of one day getting the urge to jump out of a plane. Clint on the other hand, he loved heights. He craved the safety of distance; he was a sniper after all. It was that feeling she searched for as the tendrils of her thoughts pushed into the links at the back of her mind.

The link felt different. Darcy stood completely still, her eyes drifting back and forth between the two men. Bucky slept curled around the harness he'd finally put on, twitching slightly as he dreamed about something, his heart rate jumping despite how deeply he had fallen into sleep. Darcy eased back and turned his attention to her mate. Where Bucky's thoughts were cold against her mind, Clint's were warm, like a crackling fire that warmed her down to the tips of her fingers; her mate's thoughts always had a slightly orange glowing feeling. She poked at the connection in the back of her mind, while Clint's warmth grounded her. They felt more solid than her connection with Clint had ever been alone, great wooden doors into their minds and no longer a gelatinous feeling barrier, which had settled between the two of them. The connections where now completely solid, and real in a way they hadn't quite felt before, like she could reach out a knock on the doors that separated their minds.

While the doors were closed, she could feel though them, as if they weren't quite sound proof. Darcy pushed at Bucky's door, as the loudest feelings where pushing through it. Feeling a wash of chilly thoughts flowed through her mind as Bucky's quiet panic seeped through their connection. She could feel her heart rate jump up as the darkness from the other side of the door that connected her to Bucky seeped out over her, drawing her into his mind, even the connection with her own mind cast no shadows. He was terrified. The connection with herself and Clint, feeling their thoughts and feelings, brought about memories of manipulations and a horrifying metal machine, that Darcy was sure would chase her into her own nightmares. She could feel him try to push away those thoughts, but a bubbling of panic settled in his chest, none the less. Darcy couldn't understand how he could sleep with the weight of it pushing down on him, however fitful the rest was.

She forced herself back into her own thoughts and laid a hand on Clint's door, instantly feeling a thaw reaching from her fingers all the way down to her feet. Clint's door swung open with the barest of touch, he hid nothing from her, and never had. Darcy could feel were he connected with Bucky, the new link weighing heavy on his mind, and the implications for the two of them. How would they make Bucky, who was still so broken, fit into their lives? She felt her mate turn over the idea of postponing the wedding in his mind. Her heart clenched as he mulled it over, before dismissing it. She took a long deep breath and pulled herself back out of her mind, holding on to Clint's warmth as she let the whine of the engines filtered back into her consciousness.

Darcy took a last look at Bucky, his features twisted into a scowl even in sleep; his flesh hand was white knuckled around the harness. She frowned, wishing she could sooth the jagged edges, but turned away, letting him sleep. If he wanted help, he could come to them, or not, but it had to be his choice.

Clint reached out his hand as he felt his mate slip up behind him, his fingers drifting over hers as their minds interlocked. He could feel an empty space where their third should be, the connection not complete without him. It left a hollow feeling deep in his gut.

"We aren't postponing anything," Darcy slipped into her seat. "Natasha would kill us."

"Wouldn't dream of it, babe," he smiled was as warm as his thoughts, making her heart flutter in a way she'd once though was reserved for Fairy Tales and happily ever after's. His smile only widened and a rush of affection flowed between them.

"You can't lie to me, Hawkass," she smirked. "You thought about it."

"You did too," Clint turned his attention back to flying, without letting go of her hand. "This whole Bucky thing throws a bit of a wrench into our plans."

"Yeah," Darcy leaned her head back against the seat, trying not to focus on the movement of the jet, which made her gut twist. If it'd just been the two of them, Clint had gotten very good at distracting her from what she felt was a very rational fear. The auto pilot had been used very liberally on their Quinjet, and Jarvis had been very careful to erase any incriminating footage. "It's not like we can take him on our honeymoon."

Clint laughed out loud before remembering that their third was sleeping not twenty feet away. They both turned and held their breaths as they checked to see if he was still sleeping. "That would be all kinds of awkward," he whispered, his eyes darkening as he looked at his mate. A flash of Bucky joining them flited through their minds, and for a moment, Darcy could feel two sets of calloused hands running over her bare skin. She squirmed a little in her seat as she watched Clint's pupils blow wide. Bucky whimpered in his sleep.

"He's having a nightmare," Darcy nudged the connection with Bucky, so much more open now that she and Clint were touching. She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself and Clint, or if was true. "It's not about that," the image flashed through her mind again, two different hands cupping her breasts, pulling gently at each nipple. "He's scared of some machine."

"Has been since we left him back there," Clint's fingers clenched against hers.

"You think if one of us goes back there, it'll get better?" they both knew how soothing it was to have their link mate close, touching was better, but Bucky was a new puzzle to figure out, who knew what would help or hurt him, especially in his fragile mental state.

"Worth a shot," he let her hand fall from his. "Gotta be you, sweet cheeks. Unless you can suddenly fly."

That got Darcy out of her seat. "Nope," there was so much 'nope' involved in that thought. She knew how to fly, thanks to Clint, but there was nothing that would convince her to take the controls, just thinking about looking out that windshield made her want to throw up. "I volunteer as tribute," she gave her mate a kiss that was all too short. Wishing she could get him to set the auto pilot so they could relieve some of the tension they'd both stirred up with their fantasy's, she could feel it building in both of them, and slipped off into the back, before she gave in.

"So where are we on the honeymoon thing?" Clint asked, giving Darcy a heated look, picking up her auto pilot fantasy and the many reasons that Tony had decreed that the Hawks got their own personal Quinjet.

Darcy shrugged, letting the heat seep into her cheeks. "I think it's gotta wait," she told him, reluctantly. "We can only traumatize Bucky so much, and six days in the Bahamas with us in a post wedding haze," she chuckled at the thought of Bucky sitting in the living room of their honeymoon suite, fingers in his ears, as they spent hours not bothering to muffle their lovemaking. "It would probably have the poor man jumping into the ocean, trying to swim for the main land."

"He'd probably make it," Clint pointed out.

"Not the point," Darcy clicked herself into the harness next to their third. She could feel some of the tension under his skin, loosen. It would be even better if they were all three touching, but she suspected it would be a long road convincing Bucky to join them in a puppy pile, let alone anything else. Close proximity would have to do for the time being.

Clint eyed the landing pad, seeing Steve hovering just inside the doors. He was not looking forward to telling Steve he'd mated with the Captains best friend, no matter how accidental it had been. He was even less interested in telling Natasha. On the upside, Phase Two was finally complete, and they could focus on Phase Three; eradicating all of Hydra from Stark Industries and Avenger Tower. He took a long deep, cleansing breath, and pulled the Quinjet around for docking. He looked back at Darcy and Bucky, the latter had reached out for Darcy in his sleep, pulling her as close as he could while they were both strapped into respective harnesses, his face buried in her dark curls.

 **Notes:**

Please feed the plot bunny, she needs some good nutrition to get through the next bit.


	5. Home Again

**Notes:**

So, I'm sitting here typing this while the torrential rain outside hits the windows of my house, praying that the electricity doesn't go out before I'm finished. I made it. Now, it just has to hold on long enough for me to post.

Enjoy!

In Search of Winter

Chapter 5: Home Again

Steve stood on the landing pad as the Hawks' Quinjet dropped its ramp. Clint lead Darcy down the ramp, both looking a bit battered, but nothing too serious. He couldn't fathom why Clint had requested his presence when they arrived; he was sure whatever it was could have waited the full ten minutes it would take for them to change and meet the whole team in the war room.

"You asked for me to meet you?" Steve continued to watch them, perplexed.

"Yeah," Darcy grinned wide and looked back up into the jet. "We've got a bit of a present for you, Spangles." Steve rolled his eyes at the nick name. She waited a full minute, staring up the ramp with a determined set to her features, before she huffed out an exasperated breath and stomped back up the ramp and disappeared.

Steve could hear her berating someone, while Clint rocked back and forth on his feet, whistling with an amused expression. "So, Cap," the archer hummed, his hands clasped behind his back. "How's things?"

"Things are fine," Steve raised his eyebrow at the other man. For a spy, he wasn't being particularly subtle. The captain strained to hear what was going on in the het, but Darcy had stopped talking. "What's going on, Clint?"

"Darcy?" the Hawk called up the ramp. "You coming back anytime soon?"

"Yeah," the girl called back, her voice sounding a bit strained. "I think we're just having a case of cold feet here, give me another minute."

Darcy stood in front of her third, still strapped into his harness. "You know," she fisted her hands in her hips. "First I couldn't convince you to strap yourself into that stupid thing, now you won't take it off. You are aware that you're acting like a petulant three year old, right?"

"Respect your elders, princess," Bucky growled, not relinquishing his hold of the harness.

"Darcy," she rolled her eyes. "Say it with me, Darcy," she exaggerated, watching the soldier roll his eyes. "Eventually, you're gonna realize I'm delightful, and you'll be sorry you were grumpy at me."

"I'm a grumpy old man, princess," he grumbled, letting his head fall back against the metal wall of the jet. "I'm not ready just yet."

"Sadly, Bucky Bear," he raised his brow at her. "You won't call me by my name; you get a nick name of my choosing." She shrugged and dropped down on the bench. "We can't stay in here forever. Clint's crap at stalling when our lives aren't in jeopardy and Spangles isn't going to wait forever."

"What if he doesn't want to see me?" doubt washed through their link. "I mean, our last meeting wasn't particularly friendly."

Darcy let out a short bark of laughter; she'd seen what footage Jarvis had been able to cobble together from the fighting in DC. "No, it really wasn't, but Steve can't wait to see you." Bucky looked dubious. "Do you trust me?"

"Only as far as I can throw you, princess," the soldier murmured.

"I'll take it," Darcy snatched his hand and called up memories from all the Phase Two meetings and missions. "Bucky, Steve has been tearing through heaven and hell to find you."

"What's he gonna do to you and your Hawk," Bucky clicked open his harness, but didn't get up. "When he finds out about this fucking link?"

"Oh, he's probably gonna be pissed," the little hawk shrugged. "I may not get my Spangley hugs for a whole week, but he'll come around. Steve loves me; he'll understand it wasn't our fault."

Bucky just nodded and stood up reluctantly. Letting Darcy take his hand.

Darcy's boots could finally be seen at the top of the ramp again, joined by another pair. Steve knew who it had to be, but just wasn't prepared to believe it until he could see his friends face. Darcy led a reluctant Bucky Barnes down the ramp. Steve didn't even feel his knees hit the ground, but they must have, because Clint walked over and offered him a hand up. "I just," words failed him as he watched his best friend walk down towards him, a white bandage peeking out of one of Clint's purple shirts, his black tactical pants ripped on one side and his hair falling in greasy strings around those blue eyes that Steve could never forget. "Where, what," he looked between the three of them, all eyes focused on the Captain. Steve's eyes finally fell to Bucky and Darcy's joined hands, the girl's fingers laced though the Soldier's, the same way they were always entwined with her Hawk's. Clint gave Steve a final pat on the back and joined his fiancée and Bucky, dropping an arm around the Soldier's shoulders. Steve watched as some of the coiled tension left his oldest friend's body. "What's with the cuddling?" he finally managed to push out.

Darcy's smile slipped off her face, a slight pink blush coated her cheeks; she looked guilty. Darcy never looked guilty, she owned her actions in a way he'd only ever seen in Bucky before, she was delightfully and unabashedly unguilty, even when she ate the last chocolate chip and cinnamon cookie that Steve had been saving for after his run. She'd just given him a cheeky smile and continued to lick melted chocolate off her fingers. To be fair, she had then made him a double batch and left it with a note in his kitchen. He'd given up trying to convince her to stop breaking into his apartment.

"I think we should answer that in the War Room, Cap," Clint said quietly, steering their threesome down the ramp towards Steve.

"I'm not going to like it, am I?" Steve asked, trying to read the expressions on the two men's faces, but they were both much better at schooling their features then little Darcy was, lots more experience.

"Nope," Darcy slipped her hand from Bucky's and walked up to Steve, pulling him into a tight hug. He didn't even hesitate, wrapping his arms around his friend's waist and lifting her into his arms, the scent of her lavender shampoo mixed with coopery blood and dirt, wafted from her warm skin. "I'm just going to get my hug now. Cause I don't think you're gonna hug me again for a while."

"Nothing you did could make me give up your hugs, Lady Hawk," he buried his face into the crook of her neck as her hold tightened around him.

"Oh, you hold that thought, Stevie," Bucky's voice ground out. "This one's a whopper."

Steve reluctantly set the girl on her feet and watched her re-lace her fingers with Bucky's without looking. Something was very wrong.

"Let's head inside, then," Steve opened an app on his brand new Starkphone at assemble the Avengers. He heard both Hawks' phones chirp. "I want answers."

The assembled Avengers watched as Darcy and Clint lead James Buchannan Barnes into the War Room. Despite being in need of a long hot shower, and wearing what was very obviously Clint's purple shirt, that was woefully too small, looked none the worse for wear.

"So," Darcy looked down at her feet, fingers still entangled conspicuously with Bucky's. "Phase Two is complete," she shrugged and looked at the team, who were all staring at her, eyebrows raised.

"You called an Assemble to show us that your boy toy was home?" Tony crossed his arms across his chest, looking at the Captain, who had dropped into an available seat. "You couldn't have just sent a text, you know: Yay the Hawks won, kind of thing." Tony pushed back his chair, ready to get back to the lab.

"Apparently," Steve looked over at Darcy and Clint, who were pushing Bucky into a vacant seat. "It's not that simple."

"It never is," Natasha eyed her best friend critically, she'd never seen him fuss so much over anyone but Darcy.

"So, we got snatched by AIM in the Himalayas," Clint ran his fingers threw his hair, checking the healed laceration on his scalp. It wasn't even tender anymore. "They put us in separate cells."

"That's not good," Bruce leaned forward to check the Hawks over. Beside a little dried blood, they both looked fine.

"No, but Clint got tossed in a cell with Bucky, who will probably eventually tell you how he got there in the first place," Darcy shrugged. "Not really important to this part of the story. Anyway, we couldn't reach each other, and despite all our best efforts, we couldn't get out, well until Clint passed out."

"Shit," Tony muttered, finally sitting back down. "You guys alright?" Tony had witnessed what they both went through when they were separated, there were whole files of analysis in Jarvis' databanks, it was not pretty.

"Mostly, you know, head aches gone, wounds healed, all that stuff," Clint said, leaning against the back of Darcy's chair. "Darcy fried the electronics as soon as I want out, and I think she melted the locks on the cells."

"That's new," Natasha looked suitably impressed. "We keep wondering what would happen if you two were separated in a hostile environment."

"It's three now," the whole room turned toward the Winter Soldier, who was huddled in his chair, arms folded across his chest, threatening to burst the seams of his borrowed shirt.

"Say that again," Steve said slowly.

"It's three now," Darcy sighed. "Something happened. There were arcs of electricity and I grabbed Bucky's arm and we all passed out, though it was probably more that we were shocked into unconsciousness or something, and when we woke up, we were all inside each other's brains. It was actually pretty abrupt, not like the gradual introduction that Clint and I went through."

"No," Steve looked at Bucky, who was doing his best to fold in on himself. "How?"

"Best we can figure?" Darcy reached over to Bucky, who was starting to feel the pressure of too many people and too much attention; he took her hand with little hesitation. "Some combination of electricity, serum, and the vibranium in Bucky's arm. That's just a hypothesis, though."

"We could easily rest that," Tony got his manic intent look in his eyes, looking over at the three across the table, then bringing his eyes to Steve. "We do have another Super Soldier we could test on."

"Nope," Darcy clutched her bond mates' hands, feeling both of their distress at the idea of adding anymore minds to their already too complicated link. "I'm full, we're done." She shook her head. "Tony, I swear, if you poke me with anything that adds to this crazy assed link, I will end you."

"Just think about it," the light in Tony's eyes continued to twinkle manically. "All of the Avengers able to communicate through an impenetrable link, no problems with hackable hardware."

"Seeing into your teammates most intimate thoughts, having to touch everyone all the time," Darcy countered.

"Being forced to witness their most torrid sexual fantasies," Bucky growled so low Darcy swore she could feel it in her fingertips. "Really Hawk boy, are you even listening or are you just too caught up in your shower sex fantasy?"

"You learn to ignore it," Darcy shrugged.

"I don't want to know," Steve turned a deep pink, verging on red.

"Me either," Bruce got up. "Is that all, cause I've got stuff. It's good to have you here Sargent Barnes. I'm sorry about all the complications that came with your rescue."

"I think that's all," Steve agreed, still very pink. "Darcy, you think you can get Bucky's room ready. I'd like to have a moment with him before he gets settled."

"Can do, Spangles," she smiled at her friend. "You're not mad?"

"Not your fault, Lady Hawk," his face was tight, but he held his arms open to her. She accepted the hug easily, breathing in Steve's warm cinnamon scent. "Okay, run along, little one." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and pushed her into Clint's waiting arms.

"No fucking in my room," Bucky told the Hawks as they walked away.

"No promises, Bucky Bear," Darcy winked and disappeared through the War Room doors with her mate.

 **Notes:**

Please don't forget to feed the plot bunny in the box below.


	6. Feeling the Pull

**Notes:**

Well, I'm sort of not late with this one... kind of. Update on my finger, its still broken and Tylonal is not cutting it, but I'm slogging through. Thank you for all the lovely support you've been sending me while I try to push out chapters and heal at the same time. I couldn't ask for better readers.

Enjoy.

In Search of Winter

Chapter 6: Feeling the Pull

Water sloshed down over Bucky's head, warm on the edge of scalding, running down the tips of his hair and into his eyes, he put his flesh hand up on the cool tile wall and took the time to just breathe. The humid air of the bathroom filled his lungs and clung to the back of his throat. He roughly pushed the hair out of his face and tipped his head back, letting the spray sting his lips and the corners of his eyes. He opened his mouth, the heated water filling the cavity before he spit it back out.

He could almost feel the ghosting touches of his bond mates, soft little fingers tracing over his skin. Assets do not feel. He poured shampoo into his hand, the viscus liquid pooling in his metal palm and slipping through his fingers. Dainty gentle fingers traced the edges of his hipbones, flitting lower on his abdomen. Assets had no desires. The soap had a sharp lemony scent that filled the air as he rubbed it into his wet hair. He could feel her legs wrapped around his waist, rubbing wet flesh along his body. Assets did not deserve compassion. The shampoo bubbled and frothed, dripping off the ends of his hair and down his shoulders, washing away in the scalding spray. He ducked his head and felt the soap slid down his back, taking the grease and dirt that had coated his hair for weeks with it. He hung heavy and hard between his legs, not being able to remember the last time someone had touched him the way he imagined his bond mates were. For good measure he washed his hair three more times, not because he liked the scent of the soap.

The Soldier stood in the endlessly flowing water, and let the heat seep into his bones. It had been so long since he'd felt truly warm, between searching for his past and ducking Hydra, personal comfort had not been a top priority. Leaning against the tiles, he watched as the water dripped from his lashes and swirled down the drain. He hadn't been ready to come in from the cold. He'd still had a lot of searching to do, there were still so many missing pieces, but he supposed he didn't have much of a choice. He took himself in hand and tried to push everything else out of his mind.

As Bucky stood in the heated room, feeling his muscles loosen and relax, he could feel the edge of tightness start to creep into his head, a head ache blooming between his temples. He wanted to hate the Hawks for what they'd done to him, tying him into their link and invading his mind, but he couldn't. The memory of Darcy's soft, questing thoughts coating him with warmth and light, Clint's swirling around like a shield forcing away the darkness, filled him with a hope he no longer thought her could feel.  
Bucky reluctantly turned off the spray and stood dripping in the shower stall of Steve's guest bathroom, the air instantly cooling against his skin, sending a shiver up his spine. The towel he wrapped around him was softer than anything he ever remembered drying himself with, he almost regretted soaking the fluffy blue cotton towel with the leavings from his shower, but he did, none the less. He slipped on a pair of soft gray sweats and a shirt that fit better than the one the Hawk had lent him, but was still too tight around his shoulders. He pushed his fingers into the scar tissue that had formed over the wound on his shoulder, the healing skin felt tight and warm, but it no longer hurt, not that Assets were supposed to feel pain.

He padded on bare feet out of the bathroom and into the spacious living room. The cool air from the ceiling fan raising goose flesh along his shoulders and right arm. The room was bigger than the entire apartment he'd shared with Steve back in Brooklyn. Fleetingly he wondered if their apartment was still standing, but he pushed that thought away. The man that had lived in Brooklyn with the skinny little scrapper was a million miles and a lifetime away.

"Feeling better?" Steve asked, putting down his book, face down and open, on the coffee table. Bucky shrugged and stood awkwardly just inside the living space, cooling droplets of water soaking into the collar of his shirt. "Buck," Steve was at a loss. He watched as his once gregarious friend huddled in the doorway, his long wet hair hanging in his face. "I'm glad you're home."

"Am I?" his voice was like gravel grinding up his throat, stinging the disused muscles. "Steve, I don't know from home anymore."

Steve stood from his place on the couch and walked over to his old friend, his heart clenched as the other man folded in on himself, shirking away from the comfort his friend desperately tried to offer. "I know it's gonna be difficult." Bucky bit out a harsh laugh. "But for what it's worth, I am glad you're here."

"Thanks," Bucky let his friend lead him over to the couch. The tension he'd started to feel in the shower was ratcheting up. "What do I do?"

"You want me to call the Hawks?" Steve asked, watching his friends brows knit tight.

"Don't know, Stevie," he let his head fall into his hands, digging his fingers into his temples to try and relieve some of the tension. "How'd they deal when this all started?"

"I'm not really sure," he sat next to his friend right on the edge of the couch, leaning forward, elbows to knees, and rubbed his hand over his face. "Darcy came to the Tower with Dr. Jane Foster, an astrophysicist who has been working on a stable Einstein Rosen Bridge to Asgard," he waved off Bucky confused look. "It's still all Science Fiction to me, I'd just as soon let Jane explain it." He massaged his fingers into the slight stubble that had begun to pepper his chin. "Darcy slipped out one day, I guess she needed some fresh air, it can get kind of claustrophobic being cooped up here all the time. I sent Barton to follow her, Jane's research is highly coveted, and we didn't want to risk Darcy getting picked up by the wrong entity. Long story short, they got picked up by Hydra."

"Yeah," Bucky nodded, pushing himself back on the couch, stretching out as tension started to seep from his head and down his shoulders. "Darcy said they restarted the Winter Soldier Project."

"With a few modifications," Steve let his head fall into his hands. "Yeah, the Hawks are our newest Super Soldiers; they got real lucky that their enhancements allowed them to escape. I wouldn't want that Duo working against us."

"I don't know," Bucky rolled his shoulders; he'd have to go find his bond mates soon, before the tension got to be too much. "They seem to get caught a lot."

"Twice," Steve nodded. "But having the two of them out in the field together is a force to be reckoned with." Be rubbed his hands along the length of his jeans. "Plus, they've gotten themselves out both times."

"Right," the awkward tension between the two super soldiers was just adding to the stress of needing to tough his bond mates. The harder Steve tried to connect, the more Bucky wanted to slip out of the apartment door and hunt down the Hawks. He itched to run his hands down their skin, to pull their minds around his and escape the darkness that was closing in. At the same time, he wanted to run screaming in the other direction. Either way, Steve wasn't helping. "Look, I appreciate you coming to look for me," he rubbed his hands over his face, sinking his fingers into his damp hair and tugging at the dripping ends. "But I didn't stick around in DC for a reason."

"It's been over a year," Steve said, his eyes pleading with the other man.

"And I'm still sorting stuff out," the Soldier threw himself to his feet taking three long strides away from the couch and turning. "I wasn't ready."

"I don't think you've got a choice now," his eyes followed his friend as he made the circuit back to the couch and turned again. "I mean, we'll have to test it, but this bond."

"I can already feel it building," Bucky pulled at his hair and rubbed into his shoulders as he continued to pace. "I can feel them together, and it's like this pull to join them. I just escaped and now I've got this new cage."

"I'm sorry," Steve stood, longing to reach out to his friend, but watching the man in front of him, he didn't know how.

"Nothing doing, Stevie," Bucky dropped back onto the sofa. "Not your fault." Steve just watched his friend for a moment as he rubbed his head with his flesh hand, then the Soldier stood up again, his long strides carrying him quickly from the apartment.

Clint pulled Darcy through the front door of their apartment, not bothering to listen for the door to close; he pushed her up against the door to their bedroom, stripping her tank top over her head, leaning in to capture her lips. Darcy carded her fingers through his hair, raining rust colored flakes between them.

"Ew, ew, ew," she pushed the archer away, letting her feet touch the floor and pulling him along after her. "Shower," she tried to wipe the rusty flakes off her lashes. "Shower, shower," Darcy gave the knob on the faucet a vicious twist sending a heavy stream of water from their shower head. "I love you," she pushed him under the still cool water. "Wash."

"Could you have let me undress first," Clint let his sodden cargo pants drop to the floor, tossing his wet knife sheaths, their knives still stuck inside, out the shower door, followed by his empty shoulder holster. "Clothes off, then shower."

"If I let you get your clothes off," Darcy dropped her own pants to the floor, followed by her bra. "We would have gotten distracted." She pulled his shampoo down from the ledge just inside the shower door and attacked his head. The soapy bubbles turned a slight pink as they worked to clean his head. He rinsed his hair quickly and pinned his mate to the cool tile of the shower wall.

"Distracted," he smiled, pulling her legs around his hips. "No distractions here." He rubbed himself along her wet heat, angling until he slid inside.

They both tried to ignore the coiling tension building at the back of their skulls as Clint worked them both closer to finish. His fingers slipping between them, rubbing firmly against Darcy's clit and sending them both into a shuddering orgasm.

With her legs still wrapped around her mate, she laid her head on her fiancée's shoulder. "What are we gonna do?" Her belly warm and sated, but the building behind her eyes was overwhelming the satisfaction.

"Gotta let him come to us, baby," Clint told her, keeping her pinned to the wall, even as he softened inside her. "Right now, let's focus on the wedding." Darcy could still scarcely believe it. A little more than a year before she'd moved to Avenger Tower with Jane, holding what had to be the record for the world's longest internship, and through some really unpleasant and some extraordinarily pleasant life changes, she was a fucking super hero and was getting married to the man of her dreams.

Bucky sat in the Hawk's living room curled up in the furthest corner of the couch, head resting on his knees. He could hear his bond mates rustling around in their room, the link pulled at him to join them, but he refused to budge, even as the pain in his head increased.

The Hawks slipped from their room, tugging their sleep clothes into place and silently watched their newest mate. Clint wrapped his arms around Darcy's waist, her hands settling over his on her stomach. "It's going to be a long road, moy malen'kiy yastreb." She nodded and pulled away, letting herself follow her bond across the room.

"Bucky?" she asked, sinking down to the floor in front of the couch. Darcy let him reach out for her, the fingers of his right hand running through her damp curls, pushing the heavy mass over her shoulder.

"It hurts," he told her as she laid her head against his legs. Clint settled next to his mate, linking his fingers through hers and entwining the three of them together, feeling the tension ease and the darkness in Bucky's mind retreat again.

 **Notes:**

Thank you all for taking the time to read, please stick around for just another minute and leave a comment in the box below.

Next time, A Hawk Wedding!


	7. Wedding Bells

**Notes:**

And now we come to the conclusion of Part 2 of our Circling Hawks series. I hope you've all enjoyed the journey to find and bring our Bucky Bear home.

In Search of Winter

Chapter 7: Wedding Bells

Darcy ran her hands down the satin fabric falling down her waist, her fingers dipping into the pockets of the dress, a smile she couldn't contain on her face. Steve tucked her right hand into the elbow of his left and squeezed her fingers.

"You ready, Lady Hawk?" he asked, already knowing the answer. They could both see their friends looking back at them from down the aisle, Clint's hands clenched behind his back, an answering smile to his mate.

"So ready, Spangles," she winked at her friend and took a step down the first stair, letting Steve guide her the rest of the way, the steps disappearing under the bell of her skirt, fingers tight against the black suit jacket, as his hand held hers in place.

"Clint," he nodded at the other man and turned back to Darcy, pulling the short vail off her face, and tucking it back gently, just the way Natasha had drilled into his head, smoothing it to fold over its twin running down the back of Darcy's hair. "You look beautiful, doll." He kissed her on the cheek and tucked her hand into Clint's.

The Hawks turned as a unit to Thor, who stood patiently, a golden cord held in his massive hands, letting it dangle between them. "As you friend, I have the privilege of helping you both into the next phase of your life," Thor held his hands out to them, the cord loose between the three of them. "As the Lady Darcy's embraced brother, I have the duty to unite you to your soul match," he wrapped their hands together with the cord, tying their wrists together. Darcy could feel their bond ignite between them, affection flowing through them. "As your hands are joined, so are your lives," he looped the cord around again, Clint was sure he could see it shimmer with potential as Thor recited. "Holding each other, caressing each other, supporting each other, loving each other." Thor tied the cord tightly, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"I promise you, Darcy, that I will be your mate, you're bonded from this day forward. I promise to love you, support you, and hold you. I will make you laugh and be there when you cry, to kiss you softly when you are hurting. I will be your companion and your friend on this journey that we will now make together," Clint squeezed his hands around her arms where they were bound. "I am your mate, the other half of your soul, and from here one out, we are as one."

"Clint, I promise you that I will love and support you, respect and hold you, from this day forward, as your mate and your bonded. I will laugh with you and hold you when you are sad. I will rain kisses down on you when you need them. I am your companion in all things, your best friend and your soul," she smiled up at his, seeing the shine of a tear in the corners of his eye. "On this journey we are walking together, I am your mate, your bonded. We are as one in all things."

"In the presence of your friends and family," Thor laid his hands on the cord that bound them together. "It is my great right to announce that you are bound," the cords burst into light and sinking into the skin of their arms, leaving a faint ring around their wrists, which slowly faded to nothing. "Congratulations, my friends," he slapped Clint on the back hard enough to rock him a step closer to Darcy. "I am told that it is Midgardian custom that you now kiss, so that we are all witness to the symbolic completion of your union."

Clint took Darcy's face in his hands and gently kissed her lips. Her hands wound around his waist, and he was sure he could feel the cord that had bound them flair to life for just a moment, a warm weight on his hands.

"In Asgardian tradition, we would send the officiant to witness the consummation of your bond," Thor said over the cheers of their friends, who all fell silent, eyes on the thunder god. "But I am told that here, that would be inappropriate."

"Yeah, big guy," Darcy clapped him on the shoulder; Thor was not moved by the gesture. "You may not watch us fuck."

"Not a chance," Clint tucked his wife's hand in the crook of his elbow and faced them back down the aisle, their backs to the Asgardian. "Way to make it awkward, bro. Isn't' there supposed to be music here, so we can walk out?"

"Right," Tony waved at the small quartet that looked completely scandalized. "Play something." Violins broke the awkward tension, but only just.

Darcy smiled up at her husband and pulled him gently down the aisle. "Beer will make it better, Hawk."

"Yeah," he nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Beer makes everything the big guy says a little better."

Bucky looked down at his link mates, entwined on their bed, completely oblivious to his presence. Clint's hands spanned the back of Darcy's hips as she rocked over him, her head thrown back in pleasure, he watched as the other man's hands clenched his mate's hips, pulling her against him. "Ahem," Bucky cleared his throat and waited. Clint flipped Darcy over, neither of them losing their rhythm, before slowly inching down her body, her head thrown back, arching off the bed as he pulled one of her nipples into his mouth. The moan that escaped her mouth made Bucky clench harder at the door frame, wanting to both join them, and throw something to gain their attention. Clint worked his way down his mate's body, Darcy's breasts coming into view over his head, causing Bucky to look away. He cleared his throat again, louder. "Hey, asshole."

Clint froze and Darcy squealed, grabbing at the pillows, trying to cover herself, both of them finally noticing Bucky standing in their doorway seeing them completely exposed. "What the fuck, man," Clint pulled the sheets over the both of them, tucking it around Darcy's breasts. "Get out."

"Even if I close the door," Bucky looked down at the bedroom carpet, trying not to see the scattered clothing from the night before. "I can still see and feel everything you're doing to your girl." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, pulling harshly at the ends. "It's fucking hard to sleep while you two fuck."

"Oh," Darcy pushed away from her lover, pulling the sheet all the way around herself and scooting off the bed. Clint didn't really seem to care that he was completely naked and practically waving his cock at the other man. "Sorry."

"I get that you're all excited about the new marriage thing," Bucky did his best not to look at either of them, both completely disheveled and looking thoroughly loved. "But is this all you two do? I mean, it's been only a few days, and at first I thought I was losing my mind," he turned around as Darcy reached into the chest of drawers and pulled out a clean pair of panties, and slipped them on under the sheet, before shrugging her shoulders and just letting the sheet drop. "Because seriously, it's been a really long time, and you two are so far into my brain, I thought it was just my imagination using the information most easily at hand." Darcy dropped back on the bed with Clint, who still hadn't made any move to pull on any clothing. He dropped and arm around his wife and pulled her to him. "But that's not it, it's this link."

"And this is what you get from the link?" Clint asked, settling himself against the pillows that had escaped their earlier activates and where still propped up against the wall. "You get all of this while we aren't touching?"

"Yep," Bucky leaned against the doorpost and slid to the ground, his hands running over his face like he was trying to peel it off. "Strong thoughts, mostly, and full blown mind porn, apparently."

"Oh god," Darcy let her head fall back against Clint's chest. "This complicated everything."

"We're sorry, dude," Clint shrugged.

"Can you two get dressed or something?" Bucky asked his own hands, his feet planted on the floor, not taking the chance of looking up.

"You've already seen the show," Darcy called from the bed, scooting to the edge again, her feet landing right in front of Bucky's. "We're linked, it's not like you can get away from us."

"Please," he said quietly, his hands back in his hair, head hanging between his knees. "Just, do this for me." Darcy grabbed the purple t-shirt that was sitting next to him, her arm brushing his lightly, just enough for their minds to connect. He could see clearly how embarrassed she was, even though she didn't show it outwardly, but also how thrilling she found it that he'd been watching. "I'm not ready for that kind of thing, princess."

"I know, Bucky Bear," she pulled the shirt over her head, and it fell down just far enough to cover her lace covered ass. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "If we promise to get dressed, and keep our hands to ourselves, will you stay?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Bucky told her, pulling himself up off the floor, seeing Clint pulling on boxers and another purple t-shirt. "I just wanted some peace to sleep tonight."

"Look, man," Clint slid his legs into flannel pants, jumping to pull them all the way up. "You're our mate, for better or worse."

"We ain't married," Bucky scratched the back of his head. "Don't think they let you do that, even now."

"Not here," Darcy shrugged, pulling out another pair of Clint's boxers and slipping them over her black lace panties. "On Asgard they wouldn't even bat an eye."

"Regardless of the legality," Clint continued, pulling Darcy back onto the bed, leaving enough space that Bucky would join them if he chose. "We're bonded, none of us asked for this, but you and I both know that the three of us will get a full night's sleep if we can all touch." Bucky didn't want to agree; especially since he was still a little more worked up from their earlier show then he would like to admit. "I still need my Bucky touch to get rid of this fucking head ache, and I know you're feeling it, too."

"No funny business," Bucky pointed at both of the Hawks.

"Nope," Darcy agreed, holding her arms open to him, her ridiculously big shirt swallowing all her curves, making her look younger than he knew she was. "I promise I will not knowingly molest you."

"That does not make me feel better," regardless, Bucky crawled up onto the bed. "Think we can wash the sheets in the morning?" The bed smelled like sex and the Hawks. He didn't want to admit that it was comforting.

"Sure thing, Bucky Bear," she kissed his cheek again, and pulled Clint's arm around her, so he was touching the other man, too.

"Sorry I ruined your wedding night," he mumbled into her embrace.

"No worries, Buck," Clint chucked, his hands squeezing his shoulder. "We got a few rounds in before you interrupted."  
"I know," Bucky told them. "I waited as long as I could stand it."

"Did you at least get off?" Darcy asked, her fingers running through his hair.

"I don't want to talk about it," he shook his head, and tucked himself into the crook of her shoulder.

"Night boys," she smiled down at them, both burrowed into her. She was home, they had a long way to go to all be comfortable together, but both of her boys where there, and they were all touching, their link hummed in unity. It wasn't perfect, but it was all theirs.

 **Notes:**

There will be a part three, at some point. I need a plot bunny to bite, more than just the vague idea of finding the mole inside of Stark Industries and killing off HYDRA. I welcome ideas, but I may put off starting anything until I can finish something else, cause we all know I have way more stories to juggle then should be humanly possible. I do promise that when the next story surfaces, there will be yummy threesome action, its time poor Bucky gets some action. He does deserve it, putting up with those two.

Thank you for all the amazing love you all have rained down on this little series.


End file.
